Where is My Bailout?

In the current, tough financial times, I hear a lot of talk about bail outs. Never mind that the talk often comes from folks who do not truly know what a bail out is. It is true that our Government has allocated a lot of money to stimulate the economy and yes…bail out the banking and financial systems. It is also true that pretty much all of the economic experts agree that this was neccesary in order to save our economy. Many folks, especially local people that are struggling financialy and either did not vote or did not vote for the current President, love to ask where is my bail out? I have an answer for these people. Your bail out is here in the form of health care reform. Health Insurance cost have increased by more than 100% over the past 10 years. Sure, some have insurance that is provided through the workplace and as a result, may not have noticed the increase. This does not mean that you have not paid for the increase as the increase probably has taken the place of their bonuses or pay increases. Those of us who are responsible for our own coverage can tell you first hand about the short commings and increases in health insurance. I have an insurance policy that has a large deductible of more than $10,000 per year and then is basically a catastrophic coverage beyond that. Because of the deductible being high, I basically have to pay for each doctor visit for myself, my wife and 3 kids, as well as all medications. My total health care cost pretty much rivals the cost of my yearly mortgage debt. I am further paying medical fees that are based on insurance coverage and is often very much higher than it should be for that reason. I get no discount for paying up front or in cash. There is a diffence between health care and insurance. Basically, insurance companies make profit by charging you a premium and then either denying coverage or raising your rates if you do file a claim. There are thousands of horror stories about insurance companies standing between patients and their doctors and costing American people their lives by denying treatments or simply running out the clock until it is too late to save a life. It is shameful that we allow this to happen and that we allow these major companies to scare and fear us into fighting reform and public coverage that would be in our best interest. There are issues that go above and beyond politics and are American issues. Health Care and immigration are two large examples. These issues are National crisis and should be addressed from a Country first perspective. We should not be told what we should believe by radical radio show host or from a Religious leader or a political leader that already has public health care options and the best available coverage. We have been lied to for long enough. Our Doctors and Health care are very good quality but the access is rationed already based upon your income and ability to pay. There is someone between you and your doctor now and that is a multi billion dollar insurance company that have executives that make more in one hour than an average Anerican does in one year. A public option is the least that we should settle for. An option is simply an option for those who can not survive in the current system, myself included. It in no way affects those that are happy with their current health care and coverage. When more than half of the bancruptcies are caused by sickness and lack of health care coverage in this Country, it is time to stand up and make a difference. Stop being used as a puppet by the health insurance companies, politicians with pockets full of health insurance companies money and radio host that have an agenda that the other side should always fail. If economics are a concern, simply consider the cost of the war in Iraq. These same opponets of the Health Care reform were all too silent and glad to spend our kids money and also agreed to the bank bailouts under the previous administration but now that we have changed leaders, we are afraid to support a real bail out of the masses in the form of health care reform and a public option. Break free and use your common sense to form a true and honest and independent opinion on this issue. America first, not party first.